Tears were now flowing down Reid’s cheeks as Michael continued.

‘I’ve been there, Derek. You know that better than anyone. I lost a friend as close to me as Phillip was to you. And I lost my brother. I watched Liam die. And believe me, I wanted to die with him. With both of them.

‘I didn’t see how I could carry on with them gone. How I could live with what had happened to them. Now not a day goes by that I don’t think of them both, Derek. They’re in my mind when I wake up and they’re there when I go to sleep. But we carry on. Whatever it is – human nature, evolution, whatever – we are made to move on. Something allows us to keep going. Even to laugh again. You might not believe it now but you’ll get over this. You’ll never forget him, Derek. But you will get over it.’

Reid said nothing in response. His tears were now flowing freely. Michael had shed a few himself, brought on by the memory of his own losses.

No words were needed. Instead, Reid reached out, placed a hand on top of Michael’s and squeezed. It was all the acknowledgement Michael would need.

The two men sat in silence for a few minutes more. Both drained their glass. Reid first, Michael not far behind.

Michael refilled both and took a mouthful before speaking again. It was time to move the conversation on.

‘I met Jenny Draper today,’ he finally said.

‘What did you think?’

Reid wiped away the last of his tears as he spoke. He was grateful for the change in subject.

‘She’s pretty impressive,’ Michael offered. ‘Confident, too.’

‘And?’

‘And nothing.’ Michael saw the mischief returning to Reid’s eyes. ‘Sarah has absolutely nothing to worry about.’

‘Jenny might think differently,’ Reid laughed. The humour diluted the lingering sadness in the room ‘Watch your back on that one, old boy.’

‘I’ll keep my eyes open.’ Michael welcomed Reid’s teasing. It proved his own earlier words. Reid had not lost his ability to laugh. ‘Anyway, since you keep mentioning it, is there something you want to tell me about you and Jenny?’

Reid snorted out the wine he had just sipped. From both his mouth and his nose.

‘Me?’ Reid bellowed the question as he caught his breath. ‘Christ, Mike. Did she look like she’d been crushed under an elephant?’

Both men roared with laughter at the comment, with Michael still chuckling when he felt his mobile phone vibrate in his jeans pocket. He took it out and the sound of ‘Boom Boom Pow’ by The Black Eyed Peas – the personalised ringtone he had set for Sarah – filled the room.

With a silent apology he got to his feet and walked towards the hallway door before putting the phone to his ear.

‘Hello gorgeous. What’s up?’

‘Hi, sorry, I’ve got to be quick. I was just wondering about that solicitor you mentioned a while back. The one who retired. It was Adam Blunt, wasn’t it?’